The invention relates to a connector which serves to be connected to a counter connector, comprising a housing which is provided with a plurality of first and second receiving chambers extending parallel to a longitudinal axis, wherein the first receiving chambers serve to receive a contact element connected to a cable and which housing, on its rear side, comprises openings of the receiving chambers, as well as at least one mat seal which rests against the rear side of the housing and comprises apertures which are aligned with the openings.
Such a connector is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,688. The mat seal is held by a mat seal holder so as to rest against the rear side of the housing. The mat seal holder rests against the mat seal side facing away from the rear side and comprises fixing arms which embrace the mat seal, wherein the fixing arms extend behind locking projections of the housing. The mat seal holder is thus fixed to the housing. The mat seal is arranged and held between the housing and the mat seal holder. The mat seal holder comprises apertures which are aligned with the apertures of the mat seal, so that the cables of the contact elements can be guided out of the receiving chamber through the apertures of the mat seal and of the mat seal holder.
As connectors frequently comprise different configurations, i.e. depending on the configuration, they comprise a different number of contact elements in different receiving chambers, not all the receiving chambers of every configuration are provided with contact elements. In such cases it is necessary for those receiving chambers not provided with contact elements to be sealed. To avoid having to provide for every configuration a different mat seal which, in the region of the receiving chambers not provided with contact elements, does not comprise any apertures, it is proposed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,688 to provide the mat seal holder with sealing projections which close the apertures of the mat seal holder and which project into the apertures of the mat seal. The sealing projections are formed on to the mat seal holder and can be removed by a tool. The sealing projections are removed from those apertures which are aligned with those receiving chambers which are provided with contact elements. For this purpose, the sealing projections are broken off by the tool so that a cable of a contact element can be guided through the aperture of the mat seal holder.
The disadvantage of this solution is that, during assembly, initially all not required sealing projections have to be broken off and removed.